Education for all

SIR – As we head toward a general election, our minds are swimming with all the wrongs that need to be righted and all the rights that need to be wrestled for.

Top among these is every child’s right to an education. With conflicts raging around the world, hunger overwhelming populations, climate crises dramatically rising and the equality gap growing painfully, why is education top of our to-do list? Because education is both the greatest solution to and the greatest victim of all these global issues.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, recognised that every opportunity he has been fortunate enough to seize in his life is owing to the education he received, and in his New Year’s speech said “the single most important reason why I came into politics” was to “give every child the highest possible standard of education”.

If we translated this globally, imagine the world we could be living in. Less death, disease and disaster – more prosperity, peace, innovation, and a fair and just society. Isn’t that what we want for every child?

This isn’t a pipedream. This is an achievable goal, if we work in partnership, protect and increase financing to education, and show the same determination and resilience we would if a child was standing right in front of us desperately asking us to make their simple dream come true – to have a quality education and learn.

Every political party in Britain can and must get behind this urgent goal, to turn the tide on the learning crisis and ensure we help create a legacy we can stand behind and be proud of.

We are at the half-way point to the 2030 deadline to ensure inclusive and equitable education for all – and things are only getting worse. That’s why we need unity and shared determination, now.

We are calling on every political party to demonstrate their support for Sustainable Development Goal 4 by including a commitment in their manifesto to the protection and increase of financing to global education, including ensuring a fully funded Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait.

Malala Yousafzai
Livia Firth
Rachel Riley
Bernardine Evaristo
Hannah Mills
Rosie Nixon 
Sarah Sands 
Alex Beard 
Leigh-Anne Pinnock 
Donna Taggart 
Will Storr 
Larry Cooley
President, Society for International Development
David Hallow
Research Director, EdTech Hub
Luisa Edves
Director of Education and Skills, British Expertise International
Pratik Dattani
Bridge India
Dr Nicholas Westcott 
Director, Royal African Society
Dr Kevin Martin
Centre Manager, Digital Education Futures Initiative, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge
Dr Craig Walker
The Open University
Pauline Rose
Director, REAL Centre, University of Cambridge
David Armstrong
Partner, PWC
Kyle Whitehill
Chief Executive Officer, Avanti Communications
Debbie Mavis
Group HR Director, Avanti Communications
Mark East
Senior Director – EMEA Regional Business Leader, Microsoft
Rushanara Ali MP (Lab) 
Lord Purvis of Tweed (Lib Dem)  
Flick Drummond MP (Con) 
Baroness Blower (Lab)  
Dan Carden MP (Lab) 
Chris Law MP (SNP)  
Patrick Grady MP (SNP)  
Ian Byrne MP (Lab) 
Virendra Sharma MP (Lab)
Jo Owen
Cheriece Hylton
Isaac Chamberlain
Marlie Packer
Eilish McColgan
Ellie Aldridge
Sophie Coldwell
Hannah Rankin
Sedem Ama
Collins Injera
Oritse Williams
Vanessa Nakate
Vee Kativhu 
Hoda Ali
Co-Founder, the Vavengers
Rose Caldwell
CEO, Plan UK
John Kirkland
Chair, Diversity in Development
Gwen Hines
CEO, Save the Children UK
George Graham
Chief Executive, Humanity & Inclusion UK
Girish Menon
CEO, StiR Education
Celia Dignan
(Interim) Chair, Send My Friend to School Coalition, UK
Kitty Arie
CEO, Results UK
Mark Sheard
CEO, World Vision UK
Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell
CEO, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage
Catherine Gladwell
Chief Executive, Refugee Education UK
Rob Williams
CEO, War Child UK
Adam Bailey
ONE Senior Campaigns Manager, UK & Ireland
Michelle Kafe
Zubair Junjunia
Heela Yoon
Asimawu Tahiru
Clement Kaponda
Oleksii Druz
Rosalie Schoemaker
Motunrayo Fatoke
Temilade Salami
Dhieu Mayom Deng
Salha Aziz
Anzal Abbas Jaffar
Francine Niyomuhoza
Ngimou Victorine Nchokuno
Alisha Qamar
Amani Esperance
Valentine Mugun
Seme Luate Cons Lomoro
Ayesha Siddika
Jonatan Balle Svendsen
Selina Nkoile
Maryam and Nivaal Rehman
Sikemi Okunrinboye
Dương Phương Anh
Diana Ayala
Tomoe Nakano
Ranja Diab
Ayesha Farah
Mukhtar Halilu
Ruszlan Biwoino
Martine Billing
Josephine Kamara
Cynthia Nyongesa
Zoé Elkær Nicot
Shaikha Khalid Al-Shaibi
Inas El Aidi
Lilia Touil
Karen Kuntze
Armel Azihar Sly-vania
Melanie Graves
Sarah Amu
Michelle Chikurunhe
Tabeth Chingwaru
Damien Baraka
Angela Abeziera
Nataly Rivas
Adaeze Ulebor
William Grunstein
Eve Grant
Roisin Cunningham
Arunima Karve
Hermione Kasirye
Olga Mitala
Tony Silas
Zigwai Tagwai,
Zanna Samaila
Eniola Oladipo
Situma Desmond
Manuel Frank
Jonas Nitschke
Luna Mercuri
Emily Davies
Frances Logan
Holly Sheridan
Kehinde Odanye
Uzoamaka Chukwuemeka
Kimberley Shaw
Kimberly Tozana
Tara Geoghegan
Diana Hysenaj
Oseodion Ogbebor
Olufunmi Adewole
Paris Emmerson
Kayana Campbell
Samuela Okyere
Kayla Arnold
Stylianos Stratinakis
Amy Whittle
Anish Subramaniam
Juliet Arukwe
Sadie Rose Ball
Sophie Daniels
Princess Ismijola
Maryia Jenny
Mia Currie
Olivia Du Preez